Unix Fourth Edition (1973) running in your browser and Node.js.
The first operating system with its kernel written in C, recovered from a University of Utah tape in December 2025, now preserved in JavaScript.
git clone https://github.com/aygp-dr/unix-v4-web
cd unix-v4-web
node bin/unix-v4.js| Game | Size | Description |
|---|---|---|
| moo | 624 bytes | Bulls and Cows (Mastermind predecessor) |
| ttt | 2,192 bytes | Tic-Tac-Toe with machine learning |
| wump | 5,386 bytes | Hunt the Wumpus |
ls [-la] - list directory contents
cd [dir] - change directory
pwd - print working directory
cat file - display file contents
date - show current date/time
help - show all commands
exit - exit shell
The tic-tac-toe learns from experience, like the 1973 original:
# ttt
Tic-Tac-Toe
Accumulated knowledge? y
268 'bits' of knowledge
When you beat it, it updates its knowledge. Play again—it won't fall for the same tricks.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Unix Fourth Edition │
│ │
│ Released: November 1973 │
│ Authors: Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie │
│ Significance: First Unix with kernel written in C │
│ │
│ Tape Discovery: July 2025, University of Utah │
│ Location: Flux Research Group storage closet │
│ Labeled: "Marvin Newell" (received June 1974) │
│ Digitized: December 19, 2025 by Computer History Museum │
│ Read by: Al Kossow using modified tape reader │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
The tape was discovered among materials belonging to Jay Lepreau and brought to the Computer History Museum by Jon Duerig and Thalia Archibald for preservation. Martin Newell received this tape around the time he created the famous Utah Teapot.
unix-v4-web/
├── src/
│ ├── fs/filesystem.js # Inode-based filesystem
│ ├── shell/shell.js # V4 shell simulation
│ ├── games/
│ │ ├── moo.js # Bulls and Cows
│ │ ├── ttt.js # Tic-Tac-Toe with learning
│ │ └── wump.js # Hunt the Wumpus
│ └── index.js # Main exports
├── bin/unix-v4.js # CLI entry point
└── public/index.html # Web terminal
- Internet Archive: Utah Unix V4 Tape — Raw tape image from Computer History Museum
- squoze.net Unix V4 — Bootable disk images and instructions
- Unix History Repository — Complete Unix source history
- MENACE — The matchbox learning machine that inspired ttt
- Tom's Hardware Article — Coverage of the tape recovery
MIT